The Schemer and the Hero
by MisterCreamPie
Summary: Lexaeus was a selfish prince, and he payed for it. Is Zexion the only one that can break the spell on the Prince, the castle, and everyone in the castle? That's what the castle occupants seem to think. LexZex MaruZeku MarZex YAOI, No Flaming Please!
1. The odd boy

**Oh yes, Gabe went there.**

--

Once upon a time in a far away land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything he could ever desire, the young prince was very spoiled, selfish and unkind, and then, one freezing cold winter's night an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single bright red rose in return for shelter from the cold. It was beautiful and the scent lingered in the air, sending divine chills down anyone who came in contact with it's back.

Repulsed by the haggard's appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within, and when he dismissed her again the woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment she transformed him into a hideous beast and unleashed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.

Ashamed by his monstrous form, the beast locked himself in his castle with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose the enchantress had offered, was truly an enchanted rose which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another and be loved by him in return before the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken.

If not he would be doomed to remain a beast for all of time. As the years past he fell into a deep, grueling despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

--

Zexion sauntered out of his small house, swinging a small basket around. He fixed the apron that surrounded his petite waist and straightened up. Today was going to be a great day; he could feel it. Slowly, he made his way down a path that lead to town, humming a melodious tune. His small feet pranced onto a bridge and he smiled some, watching a few birds fly over his head.

"Little town. It's a quiet village. Everyday like the one before. Little town, full of little people. Waking up to say-" he was interrupted by some people popping there heads out of their windows to bid him a 'Bonjour'. He smiled and waved at them, continuing on.

"There goes the baker with his tray like always. The same old bread and rolls to sell. Every morning.just the same since the morning since we came to this poor provincial town."

"Good morning Zexion!" The baker looked back as he carried his day's work to his small bakery. Zexion turned, his mauve hair swishing to the side. His eyes glittered joyously as he waved.

"Good morning monsieur!"

"Where you off to?"

"The book shop!" Zexion said enthusiastically. "I just read the most riveting book about a-a...a beanstalk! And an ogre and a-"

Zexion was cut off by the baker. "Yeah, that's nice. Marie! The baguettes, hurry up!" Zexion shrugged and rolled his eyes playfully, turning to walk off. There was nothing surprising about a rushed day where he lived. He just thought everyone should take a break and relax every once in a while. Oh well. As the boy walked on he ignored the two women talking about him.

"Look there he goes the boy who's strange. No question!" Zexion simply brushed some hair out of his face and smiled. "He's quite destructive, can't you tell? He can stop any crowd. His head is in the clouds!"

Zexion hitched a ride on the back of the wagon that was crossing through town. He listened in all the interesting conversation being had, but didn't want to eavesdrop, so he disregarded them. Finally he arrived at the book shop, his sanctuary. He let out a small sigh, "There must be more than this provincial life!"

"Ah Zexion!" Cloud, the book keeper, smiled, reaching out to take the book Zexion thrust unto him. "Finished already. What a fast reader you are!" the blonde librarian chirped.

"Oh!" Zexion said as if awestruck. "I couldn't put it down! It was so...so wonderful! Do you have anymore new ones?" the boy inquired, beginning to scale a step ladder to reach the higher shelves of the book case.

Cloud chuckled and shook his head, baffled boy the boy's strong love for literature. "No, no. Not since yesterday!" he vocalized, sauntering over to an upset looking Zexion.

"Alright..." Zexion scanned various book titles, smiling as he found one that was appealing to him. He threw it into the librarian's hands and jumped off of the shelf, dusting his apron off gently. He stood up straight and primly, smiling widely to the librarian who looked take aback.

"This one?" Cloud inquired, grabbing a pair of reading glasses from the book shelf to his left. He laughed and held the book out. "But you've already read this book twice!"

Zexion laughed and got back onto the ladder, looking around. He slowly began to point at the book's spines, reading the titles. "Well it's my favorite!" He shifted to the right making the ladder slide down the shelf. He put a hand out, looking far out. "Well it's my favorite! Far off places, daring sword fights! Magic spells...oh! And a prince in disguise!"

Cloud put his hand on the small of Zexion's back, leading him out of the shop. "Well if you like it all that much, then keep it. It's yours," he grinned.

Zexion gasped and looked back at him, eyes wide. "But Mister Cloud, sir-"

Cloud shook his head, "Take it, take it. I insist!" He looked to the side, taking a moment to ward off the men eyeballing his favorite little customer.

"Thank you! Thank you! I just..I don't know what to say!" Zexion smiled, beginning to read the book. He took a moment to look back and smile sweetly at the man before he went off.

The three men watching Zexion sighed in a love struck fashion. "Look there he goes the boy who's so peculiar..." they sighed, leaning forward some to watch him leave. "I wonder, is he taken." One inquired to another. "He's always got his nose stuck in a book..."

"What a puzzle to the rest of us is Zexion." Zexion was indeed a puzzle. He was much different than the other young boys of the small village. He loved reading at home rather than going out and partying with the other boys. He hated dressing up and going to the royal balls, or anything along those lines. He was very different indeed.

Zexion looked up from his book, smiling at a hip that strayed from its herd. He smiled and pet it. "Oh, isn't this just amazing?" he nearly purred, referring to the exhilarating book at hand. "It's my favorite part because...well you'll see," he chuckled, reaching over to pet another large sheep. "This is where she's met he prince charming, but she won't discover that it's him, until chapter three!"

"Now it's no wonder that his name means beauty," a redheaded lady chortled. "Her looks have got now parallel."

A man cut into the lady's single person conversation. "But behind that feather complexion, is a boy that's much too odd...He's very different from the rest, yes he is indeed. Very different from everyone!"

"But he's Zexion!" the woman interrupted, trying on a feathery pink hat.


	2. Imagination

A bird twirled out of the sky after being shot and the Repliku scurried after it, holding out a brown sack to catch the fallen creature. It fell next to him and he looked around nervously, picking it up by the tail feathers before stuffing it into the sack. He looked around again and closed the sack, running off to a pink haired man, proudly holding a gun.

"Wow! You didn't miss a single shot, Marluxia! You're the greatest hunter ever!" the silverette yelled, jumping up and down anxiously. The pin haired man looked proud of himself and he stood tall.

"I know!" he chortled, blowing his still smoking gun. He closed his eyes and turned on his heel, walking away. Repliku stumbled after him, smiling giddily.

"No beast alive stands a chance against you! No girl for that matter!" the silver haired boy laughed, picking up Marluxia's game before chasing after him.

"It's true, you little Repliku you! But I have my eye sat on that one, right over there!" Marluxia pointe his gun to where Zexion was reading a book, watching a young lady carry some baskets.

"That inventor's daughter!?" Repliku gasped, half from shock, half from being in the headlock of Marluxia's built arm. He was bewildered, to say in the least, his large aqua eyes growing even larger. He closed his eyes and gasped for air, keeping what was left of it preciously in his lungs. Marluxia tended to get like this when overexcited.

"The lucky boy I am going to marry!" Marluxia grinned, closing his eyes happily. "The most beautiful boy in town! That makes him the best, and don't I deserve nothing _but_ the best!?"

Repliku scowled as Marluxia's gun was roughly shoved at him. "Yes...It's just-...Well you do but!-"

"Ever since the moment I met him. Saw him. I knew, for a fact, he was the one! I said 'He's gorgeous!' and I fell, in love with him. In this town, he is the only one as gorgeous as myself," he grinned, looking at himself through a reflective tray. "So I am making plans to woo and marry Zexion. No doubt it will be hardly a task at all. Who is more beautiful and awe inducing than myself?" he grinned.

Yuffie, Aeris, and Tifa were at the well getting water. They spotted Marluxia and sighed happily. "Look! There he goes!" Yuffie squeaked.

"Isn't he dreamy?!" Tifa nearly yelled. Repliku stopped to listen to the girls. He looked at them and batted his long eyelashes, waiting to be recognized, but alas he was ignored.

"He's so cute!" Aeris smiled, spilling her bucket of water onto Repliku accidentally. Repliku frowned and shook the water off of himself, grumbling under his breath. He got up and walked away from the crazy love struck girls.

"He stole me heart!" Yuffie sighed happily, feeling like her knees would collapse at any moment.

"I can hardly breathe!" Tifa added, fanning her face with her hand. "He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome man!" As Marluxia continued his chase after Zexion people began to crowd the streets, blocking his vision as well as his way from his prize. He shoved through them, gritting his teeth apprehensively.

Zexion looked up from his book, watching the town's people run around anxiously. "There must be more than this provincial life!" he smiled, looking back down at his book. "But these are just fairy tales...they never happen."

Marluxia stopped, hand on his hip as he pointed upwards at nothing in particular, "I'm going to make Zexion my wife!" he grinned, raising his voice delightedly.

The town's people began their rants about the boy again. "Look, there he goes, the boy that's strange, but special. A most peculiar young monsieur." Marluxia tried to maneuver around the people, but he failed terribly. He decided that taking a shortcut was the best way, so he entered a house and ran to the top story, walking to the roof from the small window.

"It's a pity and a sin. He doesn't quite fit in, but he really is a funny boy." Even after he was leaving the town to his and his father's small home the people were continuing their conversation. He learned to ignore them, and it actually worked. Zexion looked up from his book and turned, only to see all the people busy at work. He shrugged and looked back at his book.

"Hello, Zexion."

Zexion looked up again, "Bonjour, Marluxia," he smiled softly. Marluxia reached easily over Zexion's head and he took his book, holding it out as if it were something rancid.

"Marluxia...may I have my book back please?" the boy asked, crossing his arms with a sudden scowl.

"How can you read this?" Marluxia asked, ignoring Zexion's plea. "I mean...there's no pictures!"

"Some people can use a thing called a brain, which contains something called imagination," Zexion explained. Marluxia rolled his eyes and threw the book behind himself, making it land in a puddle of mud.

"Zexion, it's time to get your head out of those books and concentrate on more important things," the pinknette explained. "Like, for example, me." He raised a handsome pink eyebrow and grinned his breathtaking grin, but Zexion was not convinced.

Tifa, Yuffie, and Aeris let out a love struck sigh and they nearly collapsed under themselves.

"The whole town has been talking about it, it's not right for a boy like you to read," Marluxia frowned, watching the boy pick up the muddy book. "I mean...if a boy like you reads...then he starts getting ideas and...thinking," the pinknette grimaced. Zexion glared up at him.

"Yes. That would be very horrible, wouldn't it?" the bluenette frowned. "You are positively prime evil."

"Thank you, Zexion," Marluxia smirked, putting an arm around him. "Why don't we walk over to my tavern and take a look at my trophies?" he asked, taking Zexion's book hostage once more.

"Maybe...some other time," Zexion muttered.

"What's wrong with him?" Tifa scowled.

"He's crazy!" Yuffie frowned.

"Ugh. He's gorgeous," Aeris sighed.

"Please, Marluxia! I can't. I have to get home to help my father," Zexion nodded, taking his book back. He held it to his chest and closed his eyes, turning away. "Adieu."

Repliku strolled up next to Marluxia, "That crazy old loon needs all the help he can get!" he snorted. Marluxia chortled, joining in with the Repliku's devious laughter.

"Hey! Don't talk about my father that way! He's not crazy. he's a genius!" Zexion snarled, shoving his book violently into his basket. Marluxia blinked and hit Repliku over the head with the back of his head.

"Yeah! Don't talk about his father that way!" he yelled to his smaller partner. Repliku fell and rubbed his head, grumbling as he tried to get back up.

Not too far away Zexion's house made a loud menacing noise and red smoke flew from the windows, emitting more laughter from Marluxia and Repliku. Zexion gasped and quickly ran to his home, opening the door to the cellar. He heard his father's coughing, and couldn't help himself from coughing too.

"Papa?" Zexion called, walking into the basement.

"How on earth did that happen?" A long blonde haired man asked, rubbing soot from his face, He turned and revealed himself, across his shirt was a fancy letter 'V' Zexion had sewn in.

"Are you alright papa?" Zexion asked, placing a hand on the taller man's shoulder as he hunched over and coughed dryly into his hand. Vexen kicked his contraption he had just invented and pouted.

"I'm about to give up on this thing," the blonde nodded sullenly.

"You always say that," Zexion laughed softly.

"Well this time I mean it! I'll never get this piece of junk to work properly! It keeps malfunctioning!" Vexen frowned, glaring at the machine as he gave it a hard kick, receiving a growl from it.

"You're gonna win first prize at the fair tomorrow! And become a world famous inventor," Zexion purred, wrapping his arms around the still sullen scientist. "I really believe in you," he assured.

Vexen raised an eyebrow then smiled, "Well then! What are we waiting for!? I'll have this done in NO time!" the man grinned, walking to his machine to begin more work.


End file.
